The viral outbreak in China has thrown the travel industry into chaos, threatening billions in losses and keeping millions of would-be travelers at home.
FILE - In this Monday Feb. 3, 2020, file photo, cruise ship Diamond Princess is anchored off Yokohama Port in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, upon its arrival. Japanese health officials conducted massive medical checks Tuesday on all 3,700 people on the cruise ship that returned to the country after carrying one passenger who tested positive for the new coronavirus. Health authorities are scrambling to halt the spread of a new virus that has killed hundreds in China.
Thirty airlines have suspended service to China and 25,000 flights were canceled this week alone, according to OAG, a travel data company. Hotel rooms in China are largely empty; Chinese hotel occupancy plummeted 75% in the last two weeks of January, according to STR, a hotel research firm. More than 7,000 passengers are quarantined on two cruise ships in Japan and Hong Kong.
Disney said Wednesday it could lose $175 million if its parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai remain closed for two months. Others are taking a wait-and-see approach, including concert pianist Julio Elizalde and violinist Ray Chen. The two have a six-city concert tour of China scheduled in May. They're watching closely; as long as things improve over the next month or two, Elizalde says they plan to honor that commitment.
Destinations further from the outbreak are also feeling the loss of Chinese tourists. Australia, already battered by wildfires, just imposed a travel ban on visitors from mainland China. China was the largest source for international visitors to Australia last year, with 1.4 million tourists who spent $13.4 billion, according to IHS Markit.
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